Athlon Sports announced today that it has named one University of Minnesota football player to its 2017 All-America Team. This preseason announcement is a prediction by the magazine on how players will perform in 2017.

Minnesota’s lone All-American selection was kicker Emmit Carpenter who was placed on the fourth-team. Carpenter enters the 2017 season after a breakout campaign last year where he made 22-of-24 field goals and was named the Big Ten’s Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year (first Gopher to be honored with this award).

Carpenter, who was also a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, was named All-Big Ten First Team by the media and All-Big Ten Second Team by Big Ten coaches. He scored 109 points, which tied Dan Nystrom (109 points in 2000) for most all-time by a Minnesota kicker. His 109 points also tie him for second all-time with Nystrom for any Gopher behind Gary Russell (114 points in 2005).

He made his first nine field goals (tied for sixth longest streak in school history) to start the 2016 season and ended the season with 12 consecutive made field goals (fourth longest streak in school history). Carpenter was a perfect 10-of-10 on field goals from 40 yards or greater and was the only kicker in the nation - minimum of six kicks - to accomplish this feat. He was 8-of-8 from 40-49 yards and 2-of-2 from 50-plus yards. Carpenter’s career long field goal of 53 yards came against Purdue. He also notched 38 touchbacks on 76 kickoffs and was Academic All-Big Ten.